Heart on his Sleeve
by Alchamoras
Summary: Because let's face it, in the grand scheme of things, this kid was gonna make one hell of a splash. History, your new chapter is of a true pirate, and never again will tyranny ring. Luffy with a new leash on life. Possible future romance
1. Tarnished Ambitions

Tarnished Ambitions

It was a bright, crisp morning, the kind that assured those up early enough to experience it that the rest of the day would pale in comparison, so they may as well use it as an excuse to go back to bed. That particular lovely sentiment, shared by most of the townsfolk, was one of the many reasons Monkey D. Luffy had determined that today was the day that he would head out and make his way in the world, Pessimists be damned.

Soft looking dark brown hair fell into obsidian eyes as he rushed out of the house, A muffled sounding goodbye making its way through the wad of toast and sticky jam in his mouth as he passed his affectionately dubbed 'aunt Makino'.

He raced through the streets, (one hand held firmly in top of his head, so as his strange looking straw hat wouldn't fall off) eager to reach school before the ever so prompt bell rung, and he was condemned to a lecture from his tough as nails old hag of a teacher. He would embark today, his resolve on that level holding steady, but not before graduation lest he miss potential free food.

Beli was sparse at the tavern, food and such simple necessities never taken for granted, and as there had been no customers as of late and that toast this morning was probably the last bit of food he could scrape from his lodgings today. Although he might live for his dream, he wasn't willing to starve for it.

Making a name for himself, top priority in his mind, was an ambition understood only by his previously mentioned adopted aunt, and protective as she may be she always supported hem where his mind was set.

Those around him; a rather broad variety of people to be sure, including parents and teachers and peers alike, fish mongers, traders and even the odd street performer respected the end goal of this dream of his, but weren't exactly wild about his particular approach.

Not that he minded, of course, people talk and label and do all sorts of nasty things to each other as a species, and as far as Luffy was concerned why start trusting the general public now. Although, he did have to give them points for observation, as his preferred method of executing his dream could be in some cases not exactly honorable.

Not that he was going to be like that of course, when HE became a pirate he would do it properly, not just be a ruthless stealing vagabond thrown out to sea.

Yes Piracy. Formally known as: (and his English teacher would be proud to hear the wonderfully memorized drawl of the next few familiar words) A Robbery committed at sea, or sometimes on the shore, by an agent without a Commission from a Sovereign nation.

Dirty, thieving, stinking, grimy pirates.

Wonderful unbound free souls out at sea.

A grimace stole over his features however as he thought of what his dream had become, the beautiful freedom all of the liars and scum had ruined for the rest of the world.

They were doing it all wrong; all of those stupid so called pirates out there, hiding under their title to hide the fact that they were simply bad men with bad intentions and saying it was their nature as a pirate to commit such vile crimes.

There were fakes in every profession, and unfortunately fake pirates were becoming more common than the real ones.

Real pirates. Real men, real people who simply refused to stop believing and set off in search of those who thought similarly. The people who never outgrew the question 'why' and refused to accept reality as the cold cruel place others envisioned it to be, those select few who decided to reject the general reality in favor if one more open minded.

Not, however, people to be confused with shameless romanticizers.

The worlds not fair, a fact that was as much, if not more important to pirates than those preferring a life harbored to land. A fact of life that is, and it is accepted without complaint.

This general rule is also what sets pirates apart in the end. Corrupted governments, tyrants, manipulators, they all embrace the cold simple little rule, using those words to convince people fairness was overrated, using those words to subtly encourage people to give up, back down, accept defeat.

Pirates embrace that rule too, and use it as a guideline.

'What', they think, clever minds working full throttle, 'what can I do to prove this soggy old rule wrong?'. And they think and they think and they scheme away in an attempt to return hope to those fascinated by the mean ruthless rule of the world powers.

They sail round the world, bringing with them fantastical tales of the planet around them we like to call Yuuki(1), bringing life into a new light and hope a new meaning to those who they favored their stories with, those willing to listen. And, as was more than often the case, those willing to listen were children. Young people not yet resigned to the monotony of our torturously short lives, bright eyed and eager to hear that they haven't seen, experience what they haven't done.

Luffy was one of those children, one of those select few who in his younger years, not quite realizing the rarity of the occurrence yet, met a pirate.

A real pirate, three scars over his left eye and a simple straw hat with a red ribbon around it adorning his head, docked at Fuchsia's quiet little harbor near the quiet little tavern where Luffy lived. And into that quiet little tavern walked the greatest man that quiet little town had ever seen, in the opinion of each and every one of the townspeople who cared to look, and the man Luffy strived to be, the man who saved Luffy's life at the cost of one of his own limbs.

Captain Red Haired Shanks. And after adventures had been told and stories had been left imprinted forever in his mind, for their ship set up temporary base in quiet little Fuchsia village, the day finally came for the Captain to leave.

Standing on the dock, the rest of his crew boarding the un-tethered vessel, Luffy made Shanks a promise.

Crying, sobbing at the permanent leave of his pirates (And they really were his pirates, who else knew them like he did?) He told Shanks in a frenzied yell that he would become a pirate too, that he would surpass even shanks himself, and that they would meet one day on the open sea. The older man smiled fondly, a proud fatherly smile reserved for Luffy alone, and bent down to the distraught Childs eye level.

"Surpass me, eh?"

In a slow, caring motion, he took the hat from his head and placed it on the tear stained six year olds head.

"That hat means a lot to me, you hear? So keep it safe until you become a great pirate and we meet again, eh?"

Eyes twinkling merrily, He stood up, and without another word, boarded his vessel. Luffy watched the ship sail away until it was nothing more than a speck on the horizon, The adventure of a lifetime what now what surely awaited the determined child who fell asleep on the dock that day, watching his hero fade into the sunset.

Holyfreakingcraplookit'safreakingLINE

(1)- Yuuki is one variation of the word courage in Japanese (I think, correct me if I'm wrong). Let's face it, you'd have to be pretty damn brave to survive on a planet like that.

Well, it's the first chapter of my first story here and I'm feeling pretty proud. Not because I'm confident in my ability, it just… feels good to get this out there. Please review, I took the time to post this story for you guys and I would be eternally grateful if you gave me feedback. Also, I think if you took the time to review I should take the time to repay so I'm very open for requests for me to visit your homepage. Always feels good to know your work is appreciated, eh? Also, I know this chapter is a little rushed but I'm trying to get the foundation for this wacked out little plot down so please bear with me here.


	2. 1 Life of the Loveless

(Just so ya know, my general disclaimer for all of my stories is on my homepage)

Hiya! For the most part, the last chapter was just to display Luffy's feelings and his situation, you know, establishing character so you know where I'm coming from. And what's this? That ominous shape looming on the horizon? Well if it isn't a developing plot! A mention of an oc, but it's just used as an exemplary reference, by no means a major character. Please review! Comments on my writing style, input or hope for future pairings, even notice of a typo would be greatly appreciated.

Life of the Loveless

Luffy sighed as clouds lazily rolled in the sky. He was currently in his makeshift bedroom, sporting a black eye and sour mood. He was grounded. On the day he was to depart from this narrow minded hell hole, he was grounded. The fact that he was grounded like a little kid steamed him almost as much as the reason 'why' he had been grounded.

Luffy's room was at the top floor of the tavern; actually it was the attic but he had an improvised window- more so a hole in the wall he had created, that let in enough light in to make it homey. No one bothered him up here, no one but Makino that was, but he wasn't worried about the elder woman at the moment. Luffy glared at nothing in particular as he thought about Today. The staff hated him enough, that was, and so of course they were going to side with Lucas. Lucas was a large, sniveling boy and a bully at school. A year older then Luffy himself, but much more buff, tall, and all together manly looking. He even was harboring teenage stubble, hints of a forming beard; something Luffy hadn't had yet, and it embarrassed him even more.

Everyone in Fuchsia resented him. And, Luffy seethed silently, one of his rare bouts of hatred washing over him, and decided he resented them all back. Everyone disrespected him. In everyone's opinions, he was the worthless parentless whipping boy, deluded into thinking Piracy was a respectable profession. They understood too, for a while, encouraged his emanation of Shanks. The entire town loved him, his strong heart and quick wit, but after he left, unexpected and mourned, they forgot. Forgot he was a good man, forgot the new understanding of buccaneers Shanks had shared with them, forgot their admiration of him and once again were left with the idea that pirates were ruthless murderers. All except Luffy, and through Luffy, Makino.

He wasn't grounded as a punishment so much, as to keep him from the cold stares and cruel remarks that he was sure to be received if he were downstairs, included in what was most likely a conversation about his 'attitude issues'. Overlooking the fact that Luffy had a black eye, that Luffy took more of a beating than the other brute of a boy, the principal was probably the person downstairs, with the gall to tell Makino that he was the one deserving of reprimanding. He could've taken out Lucas with the ease of swatting a fly, but he knew he couldn't, knew what might happen if his powers were uncovered.

Rehab.

Luffy shivered at the word, remembering all too well the words from Shanks warning him of the dangers of his discovery. After the smoke had cleared, and the initial shock of his consumption of the gomu devils fruit wore off, Shanks had taken him aside and warned him of the danger, the horrors of what could happen if the wrong ears got wind of this news. What did happen to her.

* * *

"_You CANNOT, I repeat, can't__ tell anyone of your powers, understand__?" _Shanks advised; face solemn and tired, the usual sparkle stolen from his eyes. _"__T__here are… bad people out there, people who will try to hurt you if they know." _Luffy nodded eyes wide, not really understanding but eager not to disappoint his role model. 

"_People will come, and try to take you away, try to 'cure' you. You don't need curing, Luffy, you're not sick at all__. I__f anyone comes you have to promise me, promise you'll run as far away as you can. Fast." _He stared at Luffy, eyes boring into him, pleading with him to understand. _"C__an I take Makino too?"_He inquired, eyes wide and confused.

The captain paused briefly, contemplating. _"If it__'__s…. Convenient, then of course, but promise you won't go after her. Promise if she's too far away to just run until __you can't hear them anymore__, ok?" __"Ok__!"_ Was the quick reply, not wanting the shadowed look to linger in his idols eyes any longer. The red head stared down at him, hesitant, before covering up with a smile and a teasing tone. _"You probably aren't in any danger anyway; who wants to steal an anchor?" _Luffy took the bait, his little face scrunching up in displeasure. Mean Shanks!

* * *

Luffy chuckled, before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He was lucky enough to get a warning, but she didn't, in all of her righteous fury she never stood a chance. Taken before she knew what hit her, discovered by using her abilities to help a friend, to help him. 

"-will not allow this boy to reside in this household any longer! It has come to my attention that you have a very sick child here Mrs. Makino, and action must be taken immediately!" if any humor had been with Luffy, it left him then. All of the blood drained from his face leaving a stark contrast between the ebony of his hair and the milky tone his skin had taken. The volume of the argument downstairs had been slowly escalating until, snapped out of his thoughts, that part of the conversation had made it up to his room. Hide. He had to hide, had to run, he couldn't let them catch him! He wouldn't betray Shanks; He wouldn't let them do what they did to Alana.

Escape, run, flee! He had to get out of here, away from those men, those Murderers at all costs. He looked around his bedroom, trying to find any other way out. No windows, no doors that didn't lead downstairs, didn't lead to them. Unbidden, images flowed into Luffy's mind, polluting his already darkened thoughts with panic and dismay. Alana, freezing the legs of his bullying pursuers so he could escape. Alana, with her impressive height and cocky attitude, the self dubbed 'Ice-Queen'. Alana, trapped in a test tube, floating asphyxiated as the men in the white coats stared and analyzed through thick rimmed glasses. Dark chestnut hair rippling in the wet slimy looking substance, stormy blue eyes hidden beneath lids white as bleached sheets; she looked like some sort of morbid scientific angel with multicolored wire wings protruding from her now scarred back.

Where had he gone wrong, how had they found him?! He never used his powers, never risked discovery if there was anyone present at all, so how the hell did they catch up?!? Breathing through his nose, he closed his eyes remembering earlier today; the day he was supposed to be free, supposed to sail away from the mere possibility of that hell.

* * *

_Avoiding collision with a__ group of overly pa__i__nted underly dressed girls __loitering __in t__he hallway, Luffy slunk__ into the Door labeled 109 before quickly __occupying the nearest available chair, getting seated with a soft 'plunk'._

_He__ rested his chin on his hands,__ eyes drooping and__ utterly disregarding whatever his teacher might have been saying. Apparently on what would b__e__ the last day __in her__ class, their senile old professor__ decided to honor them with a story. Not a good one of course, no view points or injuries, no daring escapes or mutiny, not even something cool like a xoan to lighten up the dull mood that the age old story emitted_

_And of course, the star feature, pirates. They were in the story all right, but not where they should be. Not defeating cruel tyrants or simply proudly sailing the seas in search of perhaps a place to rest before they continued with adventured unnamed, because far be it from his teacher, that scatter-brained old hag to actually get the original sentiment of piracy correct. Instead, they were stupid, drunken Neanderthals stealing goods and destroying property, with total disregard for anyone else's opinion. 'The credit for that mindset should be bestowed upon government officials, not pirates.' He thought wryly_

_Luffy __did b__egin listening__ howe__ver, as the unnamed antagonists title was revealed. "The Marines put forth all of their effort in catching this dreaded bandit; leader of a band of 1,000 men, Dick was truly a fright." His teacher informed them. _

_Dick. Luffy buried his face in his arms, holding in gales of laughter at that statement. The Marines were__ after D__ick! He was an open minded person after all, love is love and all that, but that seemed a little desperate in his opinion__; either that or they were eunuchs__ (1)_

_He could see the poster now: __**Wanted: Dick**__. He knew he was being stupid and childish interpreting it that way, but really! This was great, yet another scrap of proof that the marines were gay, an opinion shared by a__ll pirates. Hypocritical, honestly__, because what__ with the vast majority of vessels__ having all male crews homosexuality __wasn't uncommon on pirate ships; but still __the Marine__s__ sunk to new lows__ in his mind._

_The rest of the class ended quickly__ for Luffy,__ his immature train of thought crashing as he heard the bell ring.__Grabbing his books, he__ shuffled towards the door__, caught up in his own musings until with a dull thud and clatter of papers he realized he had fallen to the ground, having run into someone. "Ah! __Gomen,__ let me help you with that!" he quickly exclaimed,__ briskly hopping to his feet before__ gathering up the papers that had fallen to the floor.__ "I wasn't watching where I was going__, are you o-" his sentence was cut off, at a loss for words as he was yanked to his feet by a strong pressure squeezing his shoulder, cutting off circulation. Luffy quickly tried to reclaim possession of his shoulder__ on impulse, jerking away from the foreign presence on his arm. Lucas, as he had identified his antagonist, __held firm;__ eyes widening as skin, muscle and sinew simply __stretching__ like some sort of flesh based bungee as Luffy thrashed in his grip. "Let me go you great stupid oaf!"_

_They argued as par usual, Lucas resorting to blows and Luffy gritting his teeth and bearing it, unable to retaliate for fear of limbs stretching to abnormal lengths. A teacher came along, and__yet__ again to the status quo__ gave them both a tongue lashing, Luffy's far more severe however._

_---_

The dark eyed boy groaned in defeat, desperation spreading like a poison through this mind. Of all the times not to be stupid, all the times to notice strange occurances, stupid dumbass Lucas decided then. Luffy had to leave, couldn't afford to waste any more time staying here. Taking a steadying breath, Luffy began attempting to mould his lithe body to wriggle out of the little makeshift hole through which sunlight filtered into his room. Heavy, rhythmic beats indicated the presence of someone coming up the stairs, in sync with the rapid shallow beating of his heart. "I'm sorry miss, but I cannot allow you to have such a disease ridden child in your care any longer!" There was a bark of protest, a muffled complaint sounding suspiciously like 'it's you who's the sick one!' but apparently Makino's protests were doing nothing to diminish the stranger's progress. The door to his bedroom swung open with a swish of cool air, the middle-aged man who opened it had his face turned around, taking in a clipped manner. "This village is under the reign of marine captain Morgan, and it is under his direct orders that we have come here. If you do not cease your incessant fussing this instant I'm afraid I will have to take you into custody Miss. Makino. We'll take care of the boy of course, so well be taking his possessions with us too. Come along lad, you're going to be moving-" But where he was supposedly going to be moving was never told, because as the balding intruder turned his head he was met with an empty bedroom; the only movement being small gusts of wind filtering through a small skylight looking opening near a recently vacated twin bed. The boy supposedly on it was long gone.

* * *

**Authors Notes:** Now in three different flavors! 

Sorry! As I said, my OC won't cause any trouble in the future plot, just as an exemplary presence. Actually, since I'm not good at all on the front of making OC's I used myself as a reference; Alana was even originally going to be my name before my parents reconsidered. It's actually kind of depressing, isn't it, since all of the hints I dropped indicated 'Alana's torture. Regardless, Luffy needs a tragic past. A loving brother, sunshine and cheer, endless optimism, a keepsake from his idol, where's the gloom in that? Yet again, It's a bit rushed, but things will begin to even out in the near future.

Oh, and yes, the marines are gay. (I'm not complaining, I like yaoi and this will probably end up a zolu, but that was too funny to ignore.) Without a freaking doubt. Just look at Koby for Peets sake! Yes, there actually WAS a Dick in OP (and he even had a wanted poster!) In one of Zoro's flashbacks, somewhere in the early-mid 100's. I'm too lazy to go look the exact episode up, but it made me want to laugh my ass off. I can't possibly be the only one who noticed that! First the marines were after Dick, and then Zoro, Johnny and Yosaku went after Dick! I was SIERIOUSLY beginning to question Oda's Motive with that flashback xD !

Pleeeease Review! You'll get cool points and pixel cookies and GIANT POCKY!

(1) Eunuch- dickless. gigglesnort


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